
- #CAT PEEING OUTSIDE LITTER BOX PLUS#
- #CAT PEEING OUTSIDE LITTER BOX PROFESSIONAL#
Cats are picky and if the litter box is not just as your cat likes it, or where your cat likes it to be, then any clothes you may have strewn either on the ground or inside of a laundry basket may become the perfect litter box alternative.
However, it is important to keep your cat’s litter box tidy and appealing. Unlike your mother or your roommate, your cat is not worried about your tidiness or lack thereof, even though it may seem that way from the human perspective. Recommendations if You Think Your Cat Displays Inappropriate Elimination
A feline facial pheromone, Feliway®, is another option that may help decrease the urine marking. Meal times can be made more interesting by hiding small quantities of food around the house or using food dispensing toys to keep an indoor cat busy and less worried about things going on outside the home. Enrich your cat’s environment by providing more resting and hiding places, multiple feeding locations, scratching boxes and posts, and interactive toys. It can also help to initially confine your cat to a separate part of the house where she is more comfortable. Deterring cats from coming to your yard of front door can be done with motion activated deterrents. In this case, you need to deter stray cats from coming near your front door or window, and you will have to clean those areas as well. However, keep in mind that the outside cats might be marking the outside of your door. This can be done simply by blocking your cat’s view of strange cats with covers on the front window. Once you have been able to do so, work to change or remove them. Then try to identify any new stressors in your cat’s life. Scoop the box at least once daily and completely empty and clean it with mild dishwashing liquid weekly. Keep litter boxes away from food and water bowls, as well as the washer and dryer. If you have a multi-story house, have litter boxes on each level. Litter boxes should be in different rooms to count as separate boxes because two boxes right next to each other count as one. #CAT PEEING OUTSIDE LITTER BOX PLUS#
Place one litter box per cat in the household, plus one extra. Make previously marked areas unavailable (close doors to certain rooms). Additionally, it is key to implement excellent litter box hygiene, which has been proven to significantly decrease the incidence of spraying. As the amounts are often small you might be missing areas where your cat sprays. You should take a black light to help you locate all the spots in your house urine will glow yellow-green in the dark. Because the odor of urine draws cats back to previously marked areas, you will have to clean all soiled areas with an enzymatic cleanser.
In order to get the marking behavior under control, you need to do a number of things all at once. This is a normal feline behavior some cats use urine as a form of communication. Popular triggers include: a new home, new furniture, or the smell or view of a strange cat strolling through the yard or passing by your front door. While the triggers may seem benign to us, they can likely be a source of turmoil for your cat. If your cat backs into the wall with her tail up and squirts small amounts of urine onto vertical surfaces such as the wall, front door, or windows, your cat most likely is displaying marking behavior, most often triggered by territoriality or stress. Recommendations if You Think Your Cat Is Marking
Does your cat stand or squat when she is urinating outside the litter box?. Is your cat still using the litter box or has litter box use decreased?. Are you finding large or small amounts of urine?. Is your cat depositing urine on vertical or horizontal surfaces?. #CAT PEEING OUTSIDE LITTER BOX PROFESSIONAL#
In some cases this is not as easy as it seems and you will need a professional to help you. Both behaviors may occur for a variety of reasons and we first need to figure out which category your cat belongs to. The second one is inappropriate elimination, which is a toileting behavior. One is marking, which is a form of communication. There are two main behavioral reasons for failure to eliminate in an established litter box. Once a medical reason for the lapse in box use has been ruled out, you want to consider behavioral reasons. Whenever a cat suddenly eliminates outside of the litter box, it’s strongly advised to get a physical exam including urine analysis and in some cases blood work in order to rule out any illness or injury that may be causing the behavior. The first step includes taking your cat to your veterinarian. A medical exam, as well as a few simple changes can help to re-establish proper litter box use. Luckily, this is a treatable condition in most cases. If your cat is urinating or defecating outside the litter box, we certainly understand your frustration.